A different kind of C-section

I’ve had two children, and don’t think anything else in my life will rival those first moments of finally being able to see their faces and hold their little bodies. After waiting for nine months, I literally couldn’t wait to finally be face-to-face and skin-to-skin!

Barring any medical emergencies, women who birth vaginally can look forward to that connection immediately after giving birth. C-sections, however, are a bit different. Babies are normally cleaned and given routine care first before being handed over to the mother, who is waiting on the other side of the surgical drape. But now at Sunnybrook, a new technique is being used and studied called skin-to-skin C-section. Immediately after the baby is born, he or she is passed to the mother’s bare chest for skin-to-skin contact. And if the mother is medically unable, the partner can take over if he or she likes. Not only are there numerous medical benefits to that instant physical connection, but it also helps the experience feel far less medical.

I had the privilege of being present during Sunnybrook’s second skin-to-skin C-section, and you can see it all unfold in my video. What a moment! I am truly grateful to the New family for allowing me to be present and share in their experience. Their hope is to spread the word that skin-to-skin C-section is an option, and something expectant parents can explore with their health care team. All the best to the New family! If beginnings are any indication, their journey ahead will be a beautiful one.